Cycling Climbs

Passo dello Stelvio, Italy

The iconic mountain has featured in the Giro d’Italia no fewer than 10 times since 1953

jered gruber

(Photo by Jered Gruber)

With 48 numbered switchbacks over 15.5 miles, this high-wire act of a road unfurls along the second-tallest paved pass in Europe, topping out at 9,045 feet. The iconic mountain has featured in the Giro d’Italia no fewer than 10 times since 1953 and will star once again this coming May. Along with the legendary Gavia and Val Martello, it will be the centerpiece of a stage that features the three monster climbs in just over 85 miles of racing. At such elevations, wintry conditions are always possible; in fact, during the 1965 Giro, fans and race crews frantically shoveled snow out of the way of oncoming riders.

Three more serpentine climbs on U.S. soilMt. Evans, Colorado
The 11 switchbacks on the last 4 miles of this 28-miler is where things get sketchy. The grade averages just 5 percent, but it feels much harder thanks to a dizzying 14,264-foot elevation at the top.Info: summitbiking.org
Haleakala, Hawaii
From the white-sand beaches in Paia, it’s 35 miles to the summit at just over 10,000 feet. Along the way, you’ll coil your way into the clouds up 40 hairpins, most of which come in the final 10 miles.Info: www.mountainriders.com

Green River Cove, North Carolina Though it’s just over 2 miles long, this densely wooded stretch of pavement in the Smoky Mountains manages to cram 17 switchbacks into 955 feet of climbing at a quad-searing 7 percent average grade.Info: visitnc.com

Pro TipIn a hairpin, the outside line is almost always the easiest. If you want to make your friends suffer, though, nothing stings like a hard attack up the inside of a switchback—it’s the shortest line, and also the most difficult.